Image formation device

Abstract

To provide an image formation device which achieves improvement of operability.SOLUTION: An image formation device includes: a recording part which discharges an ink to a sheet to form images; a transport part which is disposed at a position facing the recording part in a vertical direction and transports the sheet in a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; a body frame which supports the recording part and the transport part; and an exterior cover which is disposed in front of the recording part in a front-back direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction and attached to the body frame so as to form an exterior of a front surface. The exterior cover has: a transparent cover formed of a transparent material; and a cover frame disposed in at least a part of a periphery of the transparent cover. The exterior cover rotates around a rotation axis at the upper end side in the vertical direction to open or close.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a printing machine, a copying machine, or a printer, which forms an image by using an inkjet system. [Background technology]

[0002] In the industrial printing industry, operators are expected to be able to visually check the operating status of image forming equipment. For large-format inkjet printers, image forming equipment is provided that allows the ink ejection head to scan. Similarly, image forming equipment that allows the operating status to be viewed is also available on the market for label printers.

[0003] The height of the main body of these image forming devices is generally shorter than a person's height. In some image forming devices, the operating state can be visually observed by not covering the recording unit with an exterior cover. Alternatively, an exterior cover is provided on the front of the image forming device, and a transparent window is provided in part of the cover. Some image forming devices also have lighting installed inside to improve visibility (Patent Document 1).

[0004] There are also commercial cut / sheet-fed presses on the market that have a visible recording area. These presses are relatively larger than large-format inkjet presses and label presses, with heights of around 2m, and generally have side-opening (double-door) exterior covers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-215522 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the conventional technology, the door provided on the front of the image forming apparatus opens to the side, and therefore when the door is opened to perform maintenance work on the image forming apparatus, the open door may limit the working space. For example, when opening both double doors to pull out a unit such as a recording unit inside the apparatus to the front of the apparatus to perform maintenance work, the open doors on the sides of the pulled-out unit narrow the working space. In addition, the open door may block the movement path of the worker. For this reason, improvement of operability is desired.

[0007] In addition, in a configuration in which a transparent window is provided in part of the exterior cover, the range in which the operating state can be visually observed is limited. Even if a transparent window is provided on each of the double doors, the joints between the doors create blind spots, limiting the range in which the operating state can be visually observed. For this reason, improvements in operability are desired.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with improved operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A typical configuration of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object includes a recording unit that ejects ink onto a sheet to form an image, a transport unit that is arranged opposite the recording unit in the vertical direction and transports the sheet in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a main body frame that supports the recording unit and the transport unit, and an exterior cover that is arranged in front of the recording unit in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction and is attached to the main body frame to form a front exterior, wherein the exterior cover has a transparent cover made of a transparent material and a cover frame that is arranged around at least a portion of the transparent periphery, and the exterior cover is opened and closed by rotating around a pivot axis on the upper end side in the vertical direction. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with improved operability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 2] Schematic cross-sectional view of the print module [Diagram 3] Schematic diagram of the print module seen from the front with the front door open [Figure 4] A perspective view of a print belt unit [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording head as viewed from the ink ejection surface side. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a retracted position of a recording head; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the printing position of a recording head. [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating movement of a recording head to a printing position. [Figure 9] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating movement of a recording head to a printing position. [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating movement of a recording head to a printing position. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state before a recording head is attached to a head holder. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the movement of a scanner unit; [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the movement of a scanner unit; [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the recording unit and the maintenance unit are mounted on the main body frame of the print module. [Figure 15] Schematic diagram of the print module main frame viewed from directly above [Figure 16] Left cross-sectional view of the print module [Figure 17] Cross section of the print module in Figure 16 [Figure 18] (a)(b) Overall schematic diagram of the front door of the print module [Figure 19] Exploded view of the print module's front upper door [Figure 20](a)(b) Front door of print module opened upwards [Figure 21] A diagram explaining the hanging cord for the front door that opens upwards DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, and relative positions of each component of the image forming apparatus shown below do not limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified. In addition, components with the same reference numerals in each drawing have the same configuration or function, and duplicated descriptions of these components will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] <Image forming device> The schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is an example of an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image using an inkjet method.

[0014] In the image forming apparatus, paper (recording medium) fed from the paper feed module 1000 is processed in the order of the print module 2000, the drying module 3000, the fixing module 4000, the cooling module 5000, the inversion module 6000, and the discharge stacking module 7000. The paper fed from the paper feed module 1000 is processed by the print module 2000 to form an image on the paper. The drying module 3000 is a unit that reduces the liquid content in the ink to improve the fixability of the paper and the ink, and the fixing module 4000 heats the paper to soften the applied ink. The cooling module 5000 cools the fixed paper to solidify the softened ink and suppresses the change in the paper temperature downstream of the cooling module. The inversion module 6000 adjusts the orientation of the paper to the desired orientation. The discharge stacking module 7000 aligns and stacks the paper after printing is completed.

[0015] When double-sided printing is performed, the paper is transported in a U-turn toward the print module by the cooling module 5000, and the front and back of the paper are reversed by the reversing device 4200 provided in the fixing module 4000. The paper then passes through the double-sided transport path of the drying module 3000 and the paper feeding module 1000, and is transported again to the print module 2000, where the back side is printed.

[0016] In this manner, the image forming apparatus includes a print module 2000 as a first module including a recording unit 2300 and a print belt unit 2200. The image forming apparatus further includes a second module (1000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000) that is adjacent to and connected to either the left or right side or both sides of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction and has a different function from the print module 2000. The left-right direction in this embodiment is the sheet transport direction when forming an image. The sheet transport direction may be called the first direction. That is, in this embodiment, the first direction is the left-right direction. Also, in this embodiment, the right side in the left-right direction corresponds to the upstream side in the transport direction, and the left side in the left-right direction corresponds to the downstream side in the transport direction.

[0017] Here, the image forming apparatus is configured such that modules with different functions are connected to both the left and right sides of the print module 2000, but the present invention is not limited to this. The image forming apparatus may be configured such that a module with different functions is connected to the left side of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may be configured such that a module with different functions is connected to the right side of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction.

[0018] <Print module> The configuration of the print module 2000 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the print module 2000.

[0019] The print module 2000 is an image forming section that performs recording processing on paper (recording medium) as a conveyed sheet from above using a recording head 10 to form an image on the paper. The print module 2000 has a pre-image-creation registration correction section 2400, a print belt unit 2200 as a conveying section, a recording section 2300, a maintenance section 2600, and a scanner unit 11. The paper is attracted and conveyed by the print belt unit 2200, ensuring clearance with the recording head.

[0020] The paper conveyed from the paper feed module 1000 is conveyed to the print belt unit 2200 after the inclination and position of the paper are corrected by the pre-imaging registration correction unit 2400. The recording unit 2300 is disposed at a position facing the print belt unit 2200 with respect to the conveying path. The recording unit 2300 performs recording processing (printing) on ​​the paper as a conveyed sheet from above with the recording head 10 to form an image on the paper. The print belt unit 2200 is disposed to convey the paper by suction and adsorbing the paper so that the paper conveying behavior directly under the recording head 10 is stable. The paper conveyed on the paper conveying surface 24, which is the sheet conveying surface of the print belt unit 2200, is conveyed with a clearance secured between the recording head 10 and the paper. The recording head 10 discharges ink at a timing determined by the timing of discharge onto the conveyed paper to form an image. The multiple recording heads 10 are aligned along the conveying direction. In this example, in addition to the four colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black), there are a total of five line-type recording heads corresponding to the reaction liquids.

[0021] A scanner unit 11 is installed downstream of the recording head 10 in the transport direction. The scanner unit 11 inspects the image immediately after ink application by reading the paper and image on the transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200. When it detects an image defect such as ink not being discharged due to a blocked ink discharge hole, it immediately stops the device to minimize the generation of defective products. The scanner unit 11 is a unit (reading unit) that not only detects the ink discharge state, but also reads the image formed on the paper by the recording unit during printing, detects image misalignment and density, and corrects the printing.

[0022] The maintenance unit 2600 is disposed to the right of the recording unit 2300. The recording head 10 of the recording unit 2300 can be raised and lowered, and may be moved to a vertically upward retracted position (see FIG. 6) as necessary. The maintenance unit 2600 moves directly below the recording head 10 in the retracted position to perform maintenance on the recording unit 2300 (recording head 10).

[0023] The maintenance unit 2600 has a cap tray 18 in which a cap mechanism (not shown) that protects the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is disposed. The maintenance unit 2600 has a cleaning tray 19 in which a cleaning mechanism (not shown) that restores the ejection performance of the recording head 10 is disposed. The maintenance unit 2600 is a unit with a two-layer structure that includes the cap tray 18 on the upper level and the cleaning tray 19 on the lower level. Note that the ink ejection surface is the ejection port surface (nozzle surface) in the recording head 10 in which a plurality of ejection ports that eject ink are arranged.

[0024] During the operation stop, the cap tray 18 is located directly below the recording unit 2300, and the recording head 10 lands on a cap mechanism (not shown) in the cap tray to cap it, thereby preventing the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 from drying out. In response to a print start command from a controller (not shown), the recording head 10 first rises to the retracted position and moves away from the cap tray 18, then the cap tray 18 retracts to the retracted position, and then the recording head 10 descends to the printing position to perform a printing operation. In response to a print end command, the recording head 10 rises to the retracted position. Thereafter, when the cap tray 18 moves from the retracted position to directly below the recording unit 2300, the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cap tray to cap it, and then comes to a stop state.

[0025] Even during printing, when a predetermined continuous operation time is reached, a cleaning command is issued from a controller (not shown). In response to the cleaning command, the recording head 10 rises to the evacuation position, and then the cleaning tray 19 at the lower stage of the maintenance unit 2600 moves to directly below the recording unit 2300. After that, the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cleaning tray 19, where cleaning operations such as wiping and vacuuming are performed. After cleaning is completed, the recording head 10 rises to the evacuation position, the cleaning tray 19 moves from directly below the recording unit 2300 to the evacuation position, and then the recording head 10 descends to the printing position to resume printing. If printing is not resumed after cleaning is completed, the recording head 10 rises to the evacuation position after cleaning is completed, the cleaning tray 19 moves from directly below the recording unit 2300 to the evacuation position, and the cap tray 18 moves from the evacuation position to directly below the recording unit 2300. Then, the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cap tray 18 for capping, and then reaches a stopped state. Head cleaning during printing may be performed after all the paper circulating in the machine has been printed and the supply of new paper has been stopped, or may be performed by pausing the printing operation while paper is still circulating.

[0026] The number of colors and recording heads in the image forming apparatus is not limited to 5. The inkjet method may be a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, or the like.

[0027] <Recording section configuration> Next, the configurations of the recording section 2300 and the print belt unit 2200 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 11. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the print module 2000 seen from the front with the front door (exterior cover) covering the recording section 2300 open. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the print belt unit 2200. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the recording head 10 seen from the ink ejection surface. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the recording head 10 in the retracted position, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the recording head 10 in the printing position. Figs. 8 to 10 are diagrams for explaining the movement of the recording head 10 to the printing position. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the state before the recording head is attached to the head holder.

[0028] The upward direction U, downward direction D, right direction R, left direction L, rear direction B, and forward direction F used in the following description are defined as shown in FIG. 3. The side where the front door 100 as an exterior cover is arranged with respect to the main body frame 200 (print module 2000) shown in FIG. 3 is defined as the front side (near side or front side), and the opposite side is defined as the rear side (rear side or back side). In addition, when the recording unit 2300 is used as a reference, the side where the scanner unit 11 (see FIG. 2) is arranged is defined as the left side. When the recording unit 2300 is used as a reference, the side where the maintenance unit 2600 is arranged is defined as the right side. Furthermore, the vertical upward direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and left-right direction defined here is defined as the upward direction, and the vertical downward direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and left-right direction defined here is defined as the downward direction. The defined forward direction F, rear direction B, right direction R, left direction L, upward direction U, and downward direction D are shown in FIG. 3. The left-right direction is a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (up-down direction) and is the same as the conveying direction in which paper is conveyed as a sheet. The front-rear direction is a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the left-right direction (first direction).

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, the print belt unit 2200 includes a print belt 2201, a belt roller 2202, a suction unit 2203, a cleaning unit 2210, and the like. The print belt 2201 is a contact surface that comes into contact with a paper when the paper is transported, and is provided with a plurality of suction holes 2201a in the left-right and front-rear directions. The suction holes 2201a are through holes that penetrate the print belt 2201 in the thickness direction, and are provided distributed inside and outside the area through which the paper passes when the paper is transported. The belt roller 2202 keeps the tension of the print belt 2201 constant. The suction unit 2203 adsorbs the paper through the suction holes 2201a. The cleaning unit 2210 comes into contact with the print belt 2201 and wipes off mist and paper dust adhering to the surface of the print belt 2201. In this embodiment, the print belt unit 2200 has four suction units 2203, but the number of suction units 2203 is not limited to four.

[0030] The print belt unit 2200 is disposed directly below the recording head 10. In other words, the print belt unit 2200 is disposed at a position facing the recording section 2300 in the vertical direction. The print belt unit 2200 has a height adjustment function that adjusts the height of the paper transport surface (sheet transport surface) so that the paper surface has a predetermined clearance from the recording head 10 in accordance with the thickness of the paper. As described above, the print belt unit 2200 has an adsorption transport function that transports the paper while keeping it flat by following the transport belt surface.

[0031] A positioning member 811 for positioning the recording head 10 at the printing position (recording position) is provided in the housing 81 of the print belt unit 2200. Specifically, for one recording head 10, one positioning member 811a is provided on the near side (the front side of the device) in the front-rear direction (paper width direction) with the print belt 2201 in between, and two positioning members 811b and 811c are provided on the far side (the rear side of the device).

[0032] As shown in Fig. 5, the recording head 10 has a nozzle plate 223 with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink aligned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head (paper width direction, front-rear direction), and has contact portions 221 at both ends of the recording head 10. Specifically, the recording head 10 has a first contact portion 221a formed of a recess with a conical slope on the front side in the longitudinal direction, a second contact portion 221b formed of a groove with two V-shaped flat surfaces on the rear side in the longitudinal direction, and a third contact portion 221c formed of a flat portion. Here, a guide shape 221d is provided near the third contact portion 221c formed of a flat portion, and serves to solve the problem that when the third contact portion 221c and the recording head positioning member 811c come into contact with each other, the recording head (ink ejection head) 10 slips and shifts in position, causing a ball not to enter the positioning portion and making it impossible to position the recording head.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the recording head 10 in a retracted position retracted upward relative to the print belt unit 2200. Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the recording head 10 in a printing position (recording position) where an image is printed on paper. The recording head 10 is detachably attached to the head holder 26. The recording head 10 is automatically raised and lowered together with the head holder 26 by a drive mechanism (not shown) along lift rails 29 provided in a recording head lift frame 28 between a printing position close to the paper transport surface 24 and a retracted position when not printing.

[0034] 8, 9, and 10, the manner in which the recording head 10 moves from the retracted position to the printing position and engages with the positioning members 811 will be described. In Figs. 8 to 10, (a) is a view of the recording head 10 seen from the rear side in the front-to-rear direction. (b) is a view of the recording head 10 seen from the front-to-rear direction. The recording head 10 in the retracted position (Figs. 8(a) and 8(b)) descends together with the head holder 26 and lands on the positioning members 811a to 811c of the print belt unit 2200 (Figs. 9(a) and 9(b)). Thereafter, the head holder 26 is further lowered and the weight of the recording head 10 is applied to the positioning members 811a-811c, so that the spherical shapes of the positioning members 811a-811c and the conical concave shapes of the positioning portions 211a-211c of the recording head 10 tightly engage with each other (FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b)). This allows the recording head 10 and the print belt unit 2200 to be positioned with high precision. The contact of the recording head 10 with the positioning members 811a-811c may be caused only by the weight of the recording head 10, or a contact pressure may be applied by a separate pressure means (not shown).

[0035] Next, the mounting operation for setting the recording head 10 in the print module 2000 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the state before the recording head 10 is mounted in the print module 2000.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 11, when setting the recording head 10 in the print module 2000, the recording head lifting frame 28 is first pulled out from the print module 2000 to the front side in the front-rear direction. The recording unit 2300 has a handle 13 at the front end in the front-rear direction of the recording head lifting frame 28. The worker holds this handle 13 and pulls the recording head lifting frame 28 out from the print module 2000 to the front side in the front-rear direction. The worker then goes around to the left side of the pulled out recording head lifting frame 28 and faces the left face of the head holder 26 to attach the recording head 10. The recording head 10 is held by the head holder 26, which has an automatic lifting function as described above, and is connected to the head holder 26 by a pin or the like, which will be described later.

[0037] When attaching the recording head 10 to the head holder 26, first, the first pin 27a provided on the rear side of the recording head 10 is inserted into the first hole 261 of the head holder 26. Thereafter, the second pin 27b provided on the front side of the recording head 10 is guided into the second hole 262 from the second notch portion 262c of the head holder 26, and the third pin 27c is guided into the third hole 263 from the third notch portion 263c. Furthermore, the first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are supported by the first groove portion 261a of the first hole 261, the second groove portion 262a of the second hole 262, and the third groove portion 263a of the third hole 263, respectively. In this way, the recording head 10 can be attached to the head holder 26 with the attitude of the recording head 10 relative to the head holder 26 being determined. 11, the first pin 27a and the first hole 261 are arranged on the rear side in the paper width direction, and the second pin 27b, the third pin 27c, the second hole 262, and the third hole 263 are arranged on the front side in the paper width direction. Therefore, at the rear side far from the operator, it is only necessary to insert the first pin 27a into the first hole 261, and at the front side close to the operator, the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c are introduced into the second hole 262 and the third hole 263, respectively. This makes it possible to easily set the recording head 10 in the head holder 26.

[0038] As described above, the print belt unit 2200 has the print belt 2201 as a conveyor belt that attracts and conveys paper. The print belt 2201 has a color (dark color) that has a high contrast ratio with the paper (sheet).

[0039] <Reading unit configuration> Next, the configuration of scanner unit 11 as a reading section will be described with reference to Figures 12(a), 12(b), 13(a) and 13(b). Figures 12(a) to 13(b) are perspective views showing the lifting and rotating operations as the movement operations of scanner unit 11.

[0040] The scanner unit 11 is provided so as to be movable between a reading position where an image on a sheet can be read and a separated position which is further away from the print belt 2201 than the reading position. FIG. 12(a) shows a case where the scanner unit 11 is at the reading position, and FIG. 12(b) shows a case where the scanner unit 11 is at the separated position. As shown in FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b), the scanner unit 11 is moved vertically between the reading position and the separated position by the lifting unit 400 while the reading surface 112 faces vertically downward and faces the print belt 2201. In this embodiment, when the scanner unit 11 is at the reading position and the separated position, the reading surface 112 is at a facing position facing the print belt 2201.

[0041] The lifting unit 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 12(a) and Fig. 12(b). As shown in Fig. 12(a) and Fig. 12(b), the lifting unit 400 has a rotating shaft 401, a handle 402, and a pair of lifting parts 403. The rotating shaft 401 extends in a front-rear direction (paper width direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction in which the paper is conveyed and the vertical direction. The handle 402 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 401 in the width direction so that a user (operator) can grip the handle 402 to rotate the rotating shaft 401.

[0042] A pair of lifting units 403 are disposed opposite both ends of the rotating shaft 401 in the width direction, and rotatably support the rotating shaft 401. The lifting units 403 lift and lower the scanner unit 11 in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft 401. However, each lifting unit 403 has a holding plate 601 provided vertically below, and the holding plate 601 rotatably holds the scanner unit 11. In this embodiment, when the user rotates the handle 402, the holding plate 601 moves vertically together with the lifting units 403 and the rotating shaft 401, and the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 moves up and down accordingly.

[0043] According to the above-described lifting unit 400, a user can raise and lower the scanner unit 11 in the vertical direction by operating the handle 402. In this embodiment, when a user wants to clean the reading surface 112 of the scanner unit 11, the user must first move the scanner unit 11 from the reading position (see FIG. 12(a)) to the separated position (see FIG. 12(b)). In this case, the user grips the handle 402 and operates the rotating shaft 401 to rotate it clockwise. This causes the lifting part 403 to move vertically upward, and the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 to move to the separated position. The separated position is a position farther from the print belt 2201 than the reading position.

[0044] Furthermore, when the scanner unit 11 is in the above-mentioned separated position (see FIG. 12(b)), it is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a facing position where the reading surface 112 faces the print belt 2201 and a non-facing position (hereinafter referred to as the pulled-out position) where the reading surface 112 does not face the print belt 2201. FIG. 13(a) shows the case where the scanner unit 11 is in the pulled-out position. As shown in FIG. 13(a), the scanner unit 11 slides in the width direction between the separated position (facing position) and the pulled-out position by the pull-out unit 500 with the reading surface 112 facing vertically downward.

[0045] The drawer unit 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 12(b) and FIG. 13(a).

[0046] 12B shows a state in which the scanner unit 11 is in the separated position, that is, a state before the scanner unit 11 is drawn out to the drawn out position. As shown in FIG. 12B, the drawer unit 500 has a pair of slide rails 501 extending in the width direction with a gap in the transport direction, and a moving frame 502 that holds the lifting unit 400 and is provided so as to be slidable along the slide rails 501 between the separated position and the drawn out position. The slide rails 501 are fixed to the housing of the print module 2000. A frame gripping portion 503 that is gripped by a user to slide the moving frame 502 is provided at one end of the width direction of the moving frame 502.

[0047] When a user wants to clean the reading surface 112 of the scanner unit 11, the user must first move the scanner unit 11 from the reading position (see FIG. 12(a)) to the separated position (see FIG. 12(b)), and then move it from the separated position (opposing position) to the pulled-out position (see FIG. 13(a)).

[0048] In this case, the handle 402 is manually rotated to raise the scanner unit 11 from the reading position to the separated position (the position shown in FIG. 12(b)). After that, the user grips the frame gripping portion 503 and pulls the moving frame 502 towards the user. Then, the moving frame 502 slides along the slide rail 501 to the drawn-out position. As a result, the lifting unit 400 also moves to the drawn-out position, and the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 moves to the drawn-out position. In this embodiment, when the scanner unit 11 is in the drawn-out position, it is drawn out from inside the housing of the print module 2000 to the outside of the housing towards the user, and the reading surface 112 is exposed outside the housing of the print module 2000.

[0049] Thereafter, to facilitate wiping, the scanner unit 11 is rotated approximately 90° by holding the rotation operation lever 111 (see FIG. 13(b)) so that the reading surface 112 can be seen and cleaned. In this embodiment, the lifting function is performed by operating the handle 402, but the scanner unit 11 may be lifted manually or automatically by electrical power.

[0050] The scanner unit 11 disposed downstream of the recording section 2300 has the same positioning configuration as the recording head 10 described above, with the difference being whether the lifting operation is automatic or manual. The scanner unit 11 is lifted and lowered only when cleaning the reading surface 112, so the manual method is adopted since the lifting and lowering is performed infrequently.

[0051] <Maintenance Department Structure> The configuration of the maintenance unit 2600 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0052] As described above, the maintenance unit 2600 has the cap tray 18 on which the capping mechanism (not shown) is arranged, and the cleaning tray 19 on which the cleaning mechanism (not shown) is arranged. The cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 are configured to be able to move individually in the left-right direction of the print module 2000 along rails (not shown) provided on the print module 2000. The rails are guide mechanisms that support the ends of the cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 in the paper width direction (front-rear direction) and guide their movement in the left-right direction.

[0053] In a recording state in which recording is performed on paper by the recording head 10, the cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 are located upstream (to the right) of the recording unit 2300 in the paper transport direction. In the recording state, the cap tray 18 is located directly above the cleaning tray 19. The positions of the cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 in the recording state are also referred to as standby positions.

[0054] In a capped state in which the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is capped by the capping mechanism, the cap tray 18 is located directly below the recording head 10 in the recording unit 2300, and the cleaning tray 19 is located upstream in the paper transport direction relative to the recording unit 2300. That is, in the capped state, the cap tray 18 has moved from the standby position along the rail to a cap position downstream in the paper transport direction, and the cleaning tray 19 is located at the standby position.

[0055] In a cleaning state in which the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, the cleaning tray 19 is located directly below the recording head 10 in the recording unit 2300, and the cap tray 18 is located upstream in the paper transport direction relative to the recording unit 2300. That is, in the cleaning state, the cleaning tray 19 has moved from the standby position along the rail to a cleaning position downstream in the paper transport direction, and the cap tray 18 is located at the standby position.

[0056] Each cap mechanism in the cap tray 18 has a plurality of spherical positioning members (not shown) for positioning the recording head 10 relative to the cap mechanism. The positioning members are disposed on both ends of each cap mechanism in the paper width direction (front-rear direction). That is, the positioning members are provided in the same manner as the positioning members 811a to 811c in the print belt unit 2200. The positioning portions 211a to 211c of each recording head 10 engage with the positioning members of the cap mechanism, thereby allowing the recording head 10 and the cap mechanism to be positioned.

[0057] Similarly to the positioning members of the capping mechanism, the cleaning tray 19 also includes a plurality of spherical positioning members (not shown) for positioning the recording head 10 relative to the cleaning tray 19. That is, the positioning members are provided in the same manner as the positioning members 811a to 811c in the print belt unit 2200. The positioning portions 211a to 211c of each recording head 10 engage with the positioning members of the cleaning tray 19, thereby allowing the recording head 10 and the cleaning tray 19 to be positioned.

[0058] The cleaning tray 19 has a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves a cleaning mechanism (not shown) that recovers the ejection performance of the recording head 10 along a wiping direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The cleaning mechanism recovers the ejection performance of the recording head 10 by removing ink and dust adhering to the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 while being moved in the wiping direction by the moving mechanism.

[0059] <Main frame configuration> Next, the main body frame 200 of the print module 2000 will be described with reference to Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the state in which the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600 are mounted on the main body frame 200 of the print module 2000. Figure 15 is a schematic view of the main body frame of the print module as seen from directly above. Figure 16 is a left-side cross-sectional view of the print module 2000. Figure 17 is a G-G cross-sectional view of the print module 2000 in Figure 16.

[0060] The print module 2000 includes a main body frame 200 that supports a recording section 2300 and a print belt unit 2200. The main body frame 200 includes an upper horizontal column 201, a center horizontal column 202, a left support column 203, a right support column 204, and the like.

[0061] The main body frame 200 has a left support pillar 203 and a right support pillar 204 provided on both sides in the left-right direction. The left support pillar 203 and the right support pillar 204 each extend in the vertical direction. In other words, the left support pillar 203 and the right support pillar 204 are provided opposite each other in the left-right direction of the main body frame 200. The left support pillar 203 is disposed on the left front side of the main body frame 200, and the right support pillar 204 is disposed on the right front side of the main body frame 200.

[0062] The recording unit 2300, the scanner unit 11, and the maintenance unit 2600 are supported by the main body frame 200. The recording unit 2300, the scanner unit 11, and the maintenance unit 2600 are disposed between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main body frame 200. The scanner unit 11 is disposed on the left side of the recording unit 2300 between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main body frame 200. That is, the scanner unit 11 is disposed between the left support column 203 and the recording unit 2300. The maintenance unit 2600 is disposed on the right side of the recording unit 2300 between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main body frame 200. That is, the maintenance unit 2600 is disposed between the right support column 204 and the recording unit 2300.

[0063] In the main body frame 200, the upper cross column 201 is provided between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main body frame 200 in the left-right direction. The upper cross column 201 is connected to the upper end of the left support column 203 and the upper end of the right support column 204, respectively. The middle cross column 202 is provided between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main body frame 200 in the left-right direction, and is provided below the upper cross column 201. The middle cross column 202 is connected to the left support column 203 and the right support column 204, respectively. As shown in FIG. 14, the upper cross column 201 and the middle cross column 202 are each arranged to extend in the left-right direction.

[0064] The recording unit 2300, the scanner unit 11, and the maintenance unit 2600 are disposed below the upper horizontal pillar 201 of the main body frame 200. With respect to the relative relationship with the middle horizontal pillar 202, the recording unit 2300 is disposed above the middle horizontal pillar 202. In other words, the recording unit 2300 is disposed between the upper horizontal pillar 201 and the middle horizontal pillar 202 of the main body frame 200. On the other hand, the scanner unit 11 is disposed below the middle horizontal pillar 202. In addition, the maintenance unit 2600 is disposed above and below the middle horizontal pillar 202.

[0065] <Main frame size> Here, the size of the main body frame 200 in the front-rear direction will be described.

[0066] As described above, the recording unit 2300 contains multiple sets of recording heads 10, head holders 26, etc., and is attached to the upper horizontal pillar 201 and the middle horizontal pillar 202 of the main body frame 200. The size of the recording unit 2300 in the front-to-rear direction (front-to-rear dimension) is mainly determined by the following requirements (1) and (2).

[0067] (1) The width of the nozzle plate 223 of the recording head 10 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) is the maximum size paper width + α (ink application margin area for absorbing paper position deviation). (2) In the front-rear area of ​​the nozzle plate 223 of the recording head 10, a contact portion 221 is disposed that engages with a positioning member 811 disposed for the recording head 10 to land on the print belt unit 2200. These requirements determine the necessary front-rear (longitudinal) dimension of the recording head 10, and the front-rear dimension of the recording unit 2300 is determined by adding the head holder 26 and the recording head lifting frame 28 equipped with a function for lifting and lowering the recording head 10.

[0068] The front-rear (longitudinal) dimension of the maintenance unit 2600 is determined by the following requirements (1) to (4).

[0069] (1) The front-rear dimension of the landing configuration of the recording head 10, similar to the print belt unit 2200 for landing the recording head 10 relative to the capping mechanism and cleaning mechanism. (2) The front-rear dimension of the cap tray 18 that holds the capping mechanism and the head landing configuration. (3) The front-rear dimension of the cleaning tray 19 that holds the cleaning mechanism and the head landing configuration. (4) The front-rear dimension of the rail configuration that moves the cap tray 18 and cleaning tray 19 in the left-right direction below the recording unit 2300. The front-rear dimension of the maintenance unit 2600 is determined by these requirements.

[0070] The front-rear position of the center horizontal pillar 202 in the main body frame 200 is determined by the above two configuration requirements, namely, the front-rear dimension of the recording unit 2300 and the front-rear dimension of the maintenance unit 2600. The center horizontal pillar 202 has its connecting parts with the left and right pillars offset toward the rear in order to utilize the space inside the front door 100 serving as an exterior cover, which will be described later.

[0071] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the center cross pillar 202 has a recess 202L, a protrusion 202C, and a recess 202R. In the left-right direction, the protrusion 202C is located between the recess 202L and the recess 202R. That is, the center cross pillar 202 extends in the left-right direction. The recess 202L of the center cross pillar 202 is connected to the left support pillar 203. The recess 202R of the center cross pillar 202 is connected to the right support pillar 204. In the front-rear direction, the protrusion 202C is offset toward the front side with respect to the recess 202L and the recess 202R. That is, the center cross pillar 202 has an offset portion (protrusion 202C) that protrudes forward in the front-rear direction. From the opposite perspective, the portions on both sides in the left-right direction that face the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 described later (that is, the recess 202L and the recess 202R) are offset toward the back side. The protrusion 202C between the recesses 202L and 202R on both sides of the center horizontal pillar 202 fits into the internal space (area E shown in FIG. 17) surrounded by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100. In other words, the position in the front-to-rear direction of at least a part of the protrusion 202C is the same as the position in the front-to-rear direction of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the closed state. In other words, when viewed from a line of sight along the left-right direction, the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 and the protrusion 202C at least partially overlap.

[0072] On the front surface of the main body frame 200, the recording unit 2300 is attached to and held by the middle horizontal pillar 202 and the upper horizontal pillar 201. With this configuration, the recording unit 2300 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG.

[0073] The center cross pillar 202 is disposed between the left support pillar 203 and the right support pillar 204 on the front side of the main body frame 200, and supports internal units such as the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600 that moves in the paper transport direction. On the rear side (inside the main body frame) of the center cross pillar 202 in the main body frame 200, there is an internal space 209 in which the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600 are disposed. The recording unit 2300 passes through the internal space 209 on the rear side of the center cross pillar 202 when moving up and down in the vertical direction. Moreover, the maintenance unit 2600 passes through the internal space 209 on the rear side of the center cross pillar 202 when moving left and right.

[0074] Normally, it is desirable for the center cross pillar 202, which has the function of supporting the unit, to linearly connect the area between the left and right pillars in the horizontal cross section from the standpoint of frame rigidity.

[0075] Here, the whole or a part of the area of ​​the center cross pillar 202 where the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 does not exist as viewed from the front side protrudes forward from the space sandwiched between the left support pillar 203 and the right support pillar 204. That is, the convex portion 202C between the recesses 202L and 202R on both sides of the center cross pillar 202 protrudes forward from the left support pillar 203 and the right support pillar 204. This makes it possible to secure a wide internal space 209 on the rear side of the center cross pillar 202 by a maximum amount corresponding to the thickness of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, and the overall size of the main body frame 200 can be kept small.

[0076] Furthermore, because the front door 100, which will be described later, opens upward and is entirely covered by the transparent cover 110, it is possible to provide a wide and uniform protruding area between the left and right pillars of the front door 100 that is free of the front door frame 120. For example, if the front door 100 does not open upward but opens like a double door, a frame is required at the dividing part of the door, and this area prevents the center horizontal pillar 202 from protruding forward, making it impossible to provide a uniform protruding area and making it difficult to ensure the rigidity of the center horizontal pillar 202.

[0077] In this way, the rigidity of the central cross pillar 202 is ensured by having a uniform protruding shape and by ensuring the rigidity of the end region of the central cross pillar 202 that is not included in the drive path of the internal unit.

[0078] <Front door configuration> Next, the front door 100 serving as an exterior cover forming the exterior of the front of the print module 2000 on the front side of the recording unit 2300 will be described with reference to Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19. Figure 18(a) is an overall schematic diagram of the front door of the print module. Figure 18(b) is a cross-sectional view of the front door of the print module taken along line XX in Figure 18(a). Figure 19 is an exploded view of the configuration of the front door of the print module.

[0079] The print module 2000 includes a front door 100 as an exterior cover that forms the exterior of the front surface of the print module 2000 on the near side of the recording unit 2300 in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical and left-right directions. The front door 100 is disposed on the front side of the recording unit 2300 in the front-rear direction, and is attached to the main body frame 200 so as to form the exterior of the front surface. The front door 100 has a transparent cover 110 made of a transparent material over the entire front surface. The front door 100 opens and closes by rotating about a rotation axis on the upper end side in the vertical direction.

[0080] That is, the front door 100 is attached to the front side of the main body frame 200. The front door 100 includes a transparent cover 110 and a front door frame 120 as a cover frame having a certain thickness to maintain the rigidity of the front door 100. The front door frame 120 is arranged at least partially around the transparent cover 110. In this embodiment, the front door frame 120 surrounds four sides of the transparent cover 110. As a modified example, the front door frame 120 may surround only three sides or only two sides of the transparent cover. Alternatively, the front door frame 120 may be provided on only a part of one side of the transparent cover. The transparent cover 110 is attached to the outside in the thickness direction of the front door frame 120. In other words, the transparent cover 110 is arranged on the front end side of the front door frame 120 in the front-rear direction. The front end side here refers to the area between the center and the front end of the front door frame 120 in the front-rear direction.

[0081] In addition, when the front door 100 is closed, the front door frame 120 is in a position supported by the main body frame 200 when viewed from the front, so that the front door 100 does not intrude into the internal space 209 inside the central cross pillar 202 of the main body frame 200.

[0082] The front door 100 is formed so as to cover the entire area T (see FIG. 16) above the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt 2201 that transports the paper. Furthermore, the front door 100 is provided with a transparent cover 110 as shown in FIG. 18(a) and FIG. 18(b), so that the recording unit 2300 and other units inside the device can be seen from outside the device even while printing is in progress. Being able to see inside the device not only makes it possible to see the operating state of the image forming device, but also contributes to determining whether or not the inside of the device needs to be cleaned due to adhesion of ink mist.

[0083] From a design standpoint, the transparent cover 110 is configured as a single unit (front door unit) from the paper transport surface 24 (see FIG. 14) to the upper front door 100 so that not only the recording unit 2300 but also as wide an area as possible can be seen. The area of ​​the front door 100 that the transparent cover 110 occupies is set to 85% in the longitudinal direction.

[0084] Specifically, the front door frame 120, which is a cover frame, has a left side portion which is a cover frame portion facing the left support pillar 203, and a right side portion which is a cover frame portion facing the right support pillar 204. The transparent cover 110 is disposed from the left side portion to the right side portion. In this manner, the front door 100 is formed of the transparent cover 110 from the left support pillar 203 to the right support pillar 204 in the left-right direction of the main body frame 200.

[0085] The front door 100 is formed of a transparent cover 110 from the upper horizontal pillar 201 to the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200 in the vertical direction of the main body frame 200. The paper transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200 is located below the middle horizontal pillar 202 of the main body frame 200, as shown in Fig. 14. Therefore, it can be said that the front door 100 is formed of the transparent cover 110 from the upper horizontal pillar 201 to the middle horizontal pillar 202 in the vertical direction of the main body frame 200.

[0086] With this configuration, the operating state of the print module 2000 can be visually observed through the transparent cover 110 without opening the front door 100. For example, the lifting and lowering operation and position of the recording head 10, the operation and position of the maintenance unit 2600, the position of the scanner unit 11, the state in which paper is being transported, etc. can be visually observed. In addition, the state of dirt near the recording unit can be visually observed from outside the machine even while the device is in operation, and the need for cleaning can be determined.

[0087] Furthermore, a transparent resin plastic material is selected for the transparent cover 110 in consideration of its weight and resistance to breaking, and it is as thin (=light) as possible without impairing the texture. Because the transparent cover 110 is made of a thin resin plastic material, the front door 100 ensures its rigidity by making the thickness of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-rear direction (area E) thicker than the thickness of the transparent cover 110 in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the thickness of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-rear direction is greater than the thickness of the transparent cover in the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the thickness of the transparent cover 110 is 5 mm, and the thickness of the front door frame 120 (area E) is equal to or greater than the thickness of the transparent cover 110 (30 mm or more).

[0088] Here, the front door frame 120 has a thickness of 50 mm in the front-to-rear direction. The transparent cover 110 has a thickness of 5 mm in the front-to-rear direction. The transparent cover 110 is disposed on the front end side of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the transparent cover 110 is disposed on the large outer surface of the front door 100. Therefore, the front door 100 has an internal space (area E) of 45 mm inside the transparent cover 110.

[0089] 16, the components of the interior are arranged so as to fit into the space (area E) inside the front door 100, which contributes to reducing the front-rear dimension of the device. As shown in FIG 17, when the recording unit 2300 is attached to the center horizontal pillar 202 of the main body frame 200, the center horizontal pillar 202 and the recording unit 2300 are contained within the thickness (area E) of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100.

[0090] In other words, the left support pillar 203, the right support pillar 204, and the upper horizontal pillar 201 of the main body frame 200, which face the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-rear direction, are offset toward the rear side from the front end portion of the recording unit 2300 supported by the main body frame 200. This makes the main body frame 200 smaller, and the front end portion of the recording unit 2300 in the front-rear direction fits into the internal space of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-rear direction thickness (45 mm).

[0091] Specifically, as described above, the recording unit 2300 has the handle 13 at the front end in the front-rear direction of the recording head lifting frame 28. The recording unit 2300 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body frame 200. The handle 13 is disposed in an internal space (area E) surrounded by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, forward of the upper horizontal pillar 201 of the main body frame 200. In other words, the position of at least a part of the handle 13 in the front-rear direction is the same as the position of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-rear direction when the front door 100 is closed. In other words, when viewed from the left-right direction, the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 and the handle 13 at least partially overlap.

[0092] As described above, the scanner unit 11 is provided with the handle 402 at the front end in the front-rear direction of the scanner unit 11. The handle 402 is disposed in the internal space (area E) surrounded by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, forward of the upper horizontal pillar 201 of the main body frame 200.

[0093] In this way, by providing the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 with a thickness in the front-rear direction to form an internal space (area E), this contributes to reducing the front-rear dimension of the device.

[0094] The configuration of the front door 100 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 19. The front door 100 has the transparent cover 110, a front door frame 120 that forms the periphery of the transparent cover 110, a gas spring 130 that assists the opening and closing force, an upper hinge 140, and a hanging cord 150.

[0095] The front door frame 120 of the front door 100 has a design using two painted colors. The front door frame 120 is composed of a first frame 121 and a second frame 122. The first frame 121 is painted after multiple parts are welded together to form a square shape. The second frame 122 is painted a color different from that of the first frame 121 after multiple parts are welded together to form a square shape. The front door frame 120 is formed by fastening the first frame 121 and the second frame 122 with screws after painting. The reason why the first frame 121 and the second frame 122, which are made up of multiple parts, are painted after welding is to provide rigidity when assembled into a square shape.

[0096] The transparent cover 110 is adhered and fixed by an adhesive to the front end side in the front-rear direction of the front door frame 120. Furthermore, the gas spring 130, the upper hinge 140, and the hanging cord 150 are attached to the front door frame 120 at predetermined positions, respectively.

[0097] <Opening and closing the front door> An upper hinge 140 is attached to the upper end of the front door 100, and the upper hinge 140 is attached to an upper horizontal pillar 201 of the main body frame 200. The front door 100 can be in an open state or a closed state by rotating around the upper hinge 140. In this way, the front door 100 is supported by the main body frame 200 so as to be able to be opened and closed.

[0098] The opening and closing operation of the front door 100 of the print module 2000 will be described with reference to Fig. 3, Fig. 20, and Fig. 21. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the front door of the print module in an upwardly open state. Fig. 21 is a diagram explaining the hanging string of the front door in an upwardly open state.

[0099] The front door 100, which covers the recording unit 2300 of the print module 2000, opens upward at the top end base point of the print module 2000 as shown in Fig. 3. The front door 100 has a lever (not shown) for releasing the latch at the center of the bottom side. When the lever is gripped to release the latch, the front door 100 opens upward at the upper hinge 140, and is assisted in the opening direction by the gas spring 130 until it hits a stopper (not shown) provided at the open position and is maintained in the open state.

[0100] If the front door 100 did not open from the top but opened from the left to the right, it would be difficult for the operator to work around to the left side of the recording unit after pulling the recording unit out from the print module to the front during the recording head replacement work, as there would not be enough space to do so. For this reason, it is preferable for the front door 100 to open from the top. In addition, since the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment is made up of multiple modules with different functions connected together, if an error or jam occurs and paper becomes stuck inside the main body, it is necessary to access multiple modules consecutively. In such a case, it is preferable for the front door 100 to open from the top, since this does not prevent the print module from moving sideways to the module next to it.

[0101] That is, by making the front door 100 open upward, the open front door does not prevent the print module 2000 from moving laterally to the adjacent module when clearing a jam that spans multiple modules. Also, when replacing the recording head 10, it is easy to enter the side of the recording unit 2300 that has been pulled out toward the front, making replacement easy. Also, by providing the transparent cover 110 on the front door 100 that opens upward, lighting from the ceiling is let in through the transparent cover 110 even when the front door 100 is open, which has the effect of making it easy to see inside the machine.

[0102] The maximum opening angle α when the front door 100 is opened upward with the upper end as the center is set as follows. The vertical height from the installation surface 190 of the image forming apparatus to the free end 100e, which is the lower end of the front door 100, when the front door 100 is opened to the maximum opening angle is set as h. The lower limit of the height of the worker is set as h1 (for example, 1470 mm), and the upper limit of the height is set as h3 (for example, 1970 mm). The predetermined height of the workbench 191 for a worker with the lower limit of the height h1 is set as h2 (for example, 320 mm). The height h4 shown in FIG. 20(a) is the height (eye height) to the eyes of a worker with the lower limit of the height h1 standing on the workbench 191, and the height h2 of the workbench 191 is set so that this height h4 is a predetermined height (for example, 1670 mm). The opening angle α of the front door 100 is set to an opening angle α such that the vertical height h to the free end 100e of the front door 100 is higher than the vertical height h3+h2 when a worker with an upper height limit h3 stands on a work platform 191 of a predetermined height h2 for a worker with a lower height limit h1.

[0103] Specifically, the opening angle α of the front door 100 centered on the upper end is set to 100±10°. In other words, the maximum opening angle α of the front door 100 is included in the range from 90 degrees to 110 degrees.

[0104] In order for a short person with a lower height limit h1 to access the maintenance section 2600, he or she must stand on a work platform 191 with a height of h2 as shown in Fig. 20(a). Also, even if a tall person with an upper height limit h3 stands on the work platform 191, their head must not hit the upward-opening front door 100 (Fig. 20(b)). The opening angle α of the front door 100 with the upper end as the center is set from the viewpoint of human scale.

[0105] However, when the front door 100 is open at an opening angle of 100°, a short person cannot reach the tip (free end 100e) of the front door 100 and cannot close the front door 100. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 21 , the front door 100 has a hanging cord 150 for an operator to grab when closing the front door 100. The hanging cord 150 is attached to the inside of the front door 100. In this way, the hanging cord 150 is provided on the inside of the front door 100, and the front door 100 can be closed by first pulling the hanging cord 150 to lower the front door 100 and then placing the other hand on the tip of the front door 100.

[0106] Furthermore, if the hanging cord 150 is too long or if the attachment position of the hanging cord 150 is too far toward the tip of the front door 100, the hanging cord 150 will stick out from the front door 100 when the front door 100 is closed, impairing the appearance quality. On the other hand, if the hanging cord 150 is too short, a short person cannot reach the hanging cord 150 and cannot close the front door 100. Furthermore, if the attachment position of the hanging cord 150 is too far toward the base of the front door 100, the front door 100 may hit the worker when the front door 100 is closed.

[0107] From these perspectives, in the front door 100 which opens upward from the upper end base point of the print module 2000, the hanging cord 150 is attached at a position closer to the free end than the center 100c between the upper end (upper hinge 140), which serves as the pivot point of the front door 100, and the free end 100e.

[0108] Further, the overall length L1 of the hanging cord 150 is set to be shorter than the length L2 from the attachment position 100a of the hanging cord 150 to the front door 100 to the free end 100e of the front door 100.

[0109] When the front door 100 is opened to the maximum opening angle α, the height h5 from the installation surface 190 of the image forming apparatus to the lower end 150e of the hanging cord 150 is equal to or less than the set value that an operator with a minimum height h1 can reach.

[0110] Specifically, the upper limit height h5 of the hanging cord 150 is set to 1700 mm, and the attachment position 100a of the hanging cord 150 is set to 360 mm in the front-rear direction from the tip (free end 100e) of the front door 100. As a result, when an operator with the lower height limit h1 closes the front door 100, the angle of the arm when the second finger is put on the hanging cord 150 is about 160°, making it possible to place the operator with the lower height limit h1 outside the rotation trajectory of the front door 100, and even if the operator with the lower height limit h1 closes the front door 100, the front door 100 can be prevented from hitting the operator.

[0111] From the viewpoint of safety, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment is required to have an interlock and a door lock, and is designed so that the front door cannot be opened when the main body is in operation because the latch lever is not released even if the latch lever is gripped.

[0112] According to this embodiment, since the front door 100 provided on the front of the image forming apparatus opens upward, when the front door 100 is opened to perform maintenance work on the image forming apparatus, it is possible to reduce limitations on the work space caused by the open front door 100. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with improved operability.

[0113] As described above, the recording unit, the handle of the recording unit, the central horizontal pillar, the maintenance unit, the reading unit, the conveyor belt, and the like are visible through the transparent cover 110 when the front door 100 is closed. For each element, only a part of the element may be visible, or the entire element may be visible. Also, among the above elements, some elements (e.g., the reading unit) may be configured not to be visible. The transparent cover 110 is disposed on the front door 100 that opens upward and covers the front of the device. Therefore, the range in which the operating state can be visually observed can be made wider compared to a double-door configuration. As a result, an image forming device with improved operability can be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 10... Recording head 11 ... Scanner unit 13...handle 24 …Paper transport surface 100 ... Front door 100a …Installation position 100e…free end 110 ... transparent cover 120...frame 130 …Gas spring 140 ... Upper hinge 150 ... hanging cord 200...Main frame 201…Upper horizontal column 202 ... Center horizontal pillar 202L, 202R … Recess 203…Left pillar 204 ... Right support 209 ... Interior space 402 ...Handle 1000 ...Feed module 2000 ... Print module 2200 ... Print belt unit 2300 ...Recording section 2600 … Maintenance Department 3000 … Drying module 4000 ... Fixing module 5000 … Cooling module 6000 ... Reversing module 7000 ... Paper stacking module

Claims

1. a recording unit that ejects ink onto a sheet to form an image; a conveying unit that is disposed at a position facing the recording unit in a vertical direction and conveys a sheet in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a main body frame supporting the recording unit and the transport unit; an exterior cover that is disposed in front of the recording unit in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction and is attached to the main body frame to form an exterior of a front surface, The exterior cover includes a transparent cover formed of a transparent material and a cover frame disposed around at least a portion of the transparent cover; The exterior cover is opened and closed by rotating about a rotation axis on the upper end side in the vertical direction.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. The main body frame has a first support column and a second support column that are disposed on both sides in a first direction and extend in a vertical direction, the recording unit is disposed between the first support column and the second support column in a first direction, the cover frame has a first cover frame portion facing the first support pillar of the main body frame and a second cover frame portion facing the second support pillar of the main body frame, The transparent cover is provided across the first cover frame portion and the second cover frame portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. a maintenance unit that performs maintenance on the recording unit; A reading unit that reads an image on the sheet, the maintenance unit is supported by the main body frame so as to be located between the recording unit and the first support column in a first direction; the reading unit is supported by the main body frame so as to be located between the recording unit and the second support column in the first direction; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

4. When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the recording unit, at least a part of the maintenance unit, and at least a part of the reading unit are visible through the transparent cover.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

5. When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the recording unit is visible through the transparent cover.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

6. the main body frame has a third support pillar connected between an upper end of the first support pillar and an upper end of the second support pillar and extending in a first direction; the recording unit is disposed below the third support pillar, The exterior cover is disposed vertically from the third support column of the main body frame to the transport unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

7. the main body frame has a fourth support pillar connected between the first support pillar and the second support pillar and extending in a first direction; The recording unit is disposed above the fourth support pillar.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

8. The cover frame has a thickness in a front-rear direction that is greater than a thickness in a front-rear direction of the transparent cover, the transparent cover is provided on the front side of the cover frame in a front-rear direction, The fourth support pillar has an offset portion that protrudes forward in the front-rear direction, When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the offset portion is disposed at the same position as the cover frame in the front-rear direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,

9. The recording unit is attached to the offset portion of the fourth support column and supported by the main body frame.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

10. When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the recording unit and at least a part of the fourth support pillar are visible through the transparent cover.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

11. The cover frame has a thickness in a front-rear direction that is greater than a thickness in a front-rear direction of the transparent cover, The transparent cover is provided on the front side of the cover frame in the front-rear direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

12. the recording unit includes a handle provided at a front end of the recording unit in a front-rear direction, and is supported by the main body frame so as to be movable in a front-rear direction; When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the handle of the recording unit is disposed at the same position as the cover frame in the front-rear direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11.

13. When the exterior cover is closed, the handle of the recording unit is visible through the transparent cover.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12.

14. A reading unit for reading an image on a sheet is provided, the reading unit is supported movably relative to the main body frame, the reading unit includes a handle for moving the reading unit, the handle being provided at a front end of the reading unit in a front-rear direction, When the exterior cover is closed, at least a part of the handle of the reading unit is disposed at the same position as the cover frame in the front-rear direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11.

15. When the exterior cover is closed, the handle of the reading unit is visible through the transparent cover.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14.

16. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas spring for assisting the rotation of the exterior cover.

17. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum opening angle of the exterior cover is set to an opening angle at which a vertical height from an installation surface of the image forming apparatus to a free end of the exterior cover when the exterior cover is opened to the maximum opening angle is higher than a vertical height when an operator with an upper limit of height stands on a workbench of a predetermined height for an operator with a lower limit of height.

18. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the maximum opening angle of the exterior cover is within a range of 90 degrees to 110 degrees.

19. a hanging cord attached to the inside of the exterior cover for an operator to hold when closing the exterior cover; The hanging cord is attached at a position on the free end side relative to a center between the upper end and the free end, which serves as a pivot point of the exterior cover.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

20. 20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the entire length of the hanging cord is shorter than the length from a mounting position of the hanging cord to the outer cover to a free end of the outer cover.

21. 20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 19, wherein when the exterior cover is in the open position at the maximum opening angle, the height from the installation surface of the image forming apparatus to the lower end of the hanging cord is equal to or less than a set value that can be reached by the hand of an operator with a minimum height.

22. the conveying unit has a conveying belt that adsorbs and conveys a sheet, The conveyor belt has a color that has a high contrast with the sheet.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

23. the image forming apparatus includes a first module including the recording unit and the conveying unit, the image forming apparatus further includes a second module connected adjacent to the first module in a first direction and having a function different from that of the first module; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

Images